Scottish Executive

Agriculture

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-24069 by Ross Finnie on 27 March 2002, what assessment it has made of how much agricultural producers received under the Common Agricultural Policy schemes for 2001-02.

Ross Finnie: Agricultural producers received a total of £394.9 million under the main Common Agricultural Policy schemes during financial year 2001-02.

Agriculture

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of how much agricultural producers received in payments made under agri-environment schemes in (a) 1998-99, (b) 1999-2000, (c) 2000-01 and (d) 2001-02.

Ross Finnie: Agricultural producers in Scotland have received the following total payments under the agri-environment schemes:

  (a) £12.6 million in 1998-99

  (b) £15.2 million in 1999-2000

  (c) £18.9 million in 2000-01

  (d) Provisional expenditure of £21.6 million in 2001-02.

Agriculture

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of how much agricultural producers received in payments made under forestry grant schemes in (a) 1998-99, (b) 1999-2000, (c) 2000-01 and (d) 2001-02.

Ross Finnie: Forestry grants scheme payments in respect of planting on agricultural land are made to both agricultural producers and to those who cease farming after planting. It is not possible to differentiate between the two groups. Figures for the years requested are as follows:

  

 

£ 
million 

1998-99

9.59 

1999-2000

9.71 

2000-01

11.86 

2001-02

11.94 

  After planting, woodland owners need not remain in agricultural production.

Agriculture

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of how much agricultural producers received in (a) 1998-99, (b) 1999-2000, (c) 2000-01 and (d) 2001-02 through the effects of indirect market support measures, including price intervention payments, under the Common Agricultural Policy.

Ross Finnie: Estimates of the effect of indirect support measures depend heavily upon assumptions about world market conditions and will vary as commodity markets fluctuate and as domestic support measures evolve. Nevertheless the value of indirect market support to agricultural producers may be calculated as a component of a measure known as a Producer Support Estimate (PSE). The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) produce PSE figures at the EU level annually. By following the methodology used by the OECD it is estimated that the value of indirect market support to Scottish agricultural producers for the calendar years 1990-2000 was as follows (figures for later years are not yet available):

  


Year

Market Support(£ million) 

1990

386


1991

455 

1992

374 

1993

304 

1994

391 

1995

255 

1996

167 

1997

194 

1998

212 

1999

245 

2000P

155 

  PProvisional.

Agriculture

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the percentage contribution made by public subsidy to average weekly farm income in (a) 1998-99, (b) 1999-2000, (c) 2000-01 and (d) 2001-02.

Ross Finnie: Figures on farm income, subsidy and receipts are reported on an annual rather than a weekly basis. On average, the estimated percentage contribution of direct agricultural production subsidies to annual Net Farm Income was 520% in 1998-99, 670% in 1999-2000 and 450% in 2000-01. Data are not yet available for 2001-02, but forecasts suggest a figure of 270%.

  Figures on farm incomes subsidy and receipts, based on Farm Accounts Survey data, are available in the Scottish Executive’s annual Farm Incomes In Scotland publication. This can be found at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/agri/fiis-00.asp.

Agriculture

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the average sum received per farm from public subsidy in (a) 1998-99, (b) 1999-2000, (c) 2000-01 and (d) 2001-02.

Ross Finnie: The average sum received per farm from public subsidy in the financial years requested are as follows:

  


1998-99

£16,053 

1999-2000

£17,162


2000-01

£17,096 

2001-02

£17,213

Agriculture

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it holds on increases in the net worth of agricultural producers from 1992 to date.

Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive publishes figures on the net worth of Scottish agriculture each year in the Economic Report on Scottish Agriculture (ERSA). The 2002 edition contains annual data back to 1993 (the 1992 figures can be found in the 2001 edition of ERSA). The same document also provides information on net worth by type and size of farm.

  ERSA can be accessed via the Scottish Executive website.

  The relevant editions of the economic report on Scottish agriculture can be found at the following addresses:

  ERSA 2002 Table A3; http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/agri/era2-06.asp

  ERSA 2001 Table A3; http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library3/agri/ersa01-07.asp.

Agriculture

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it holds on the amount of payments made to agricultural producers in compensation for the effects of BSE.

Ross Finnie: The information requested is not held centrally. BSE is a notifiable disease and cases are required to be notified to the Divisional Veterinary Manager at the local Animal Health Divisional Office of the State Veterinary Service, which operates throughout Great Britain. Since November 1988, 8,256 clinical cases of BSE have been notified in Scotland as at 20 September 2002. Compensation is paid at 100% of market value under the Transmittable Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSE) (Scotland) Regulations 2002. Compensation was increased from 50% to 100% in February 1990 and is paid by the Department of the Environment, Fisheries and Rural Affairs on behalf of all the GB Agriculture Departments. A further 75 cases of BSE in its pre-clinical phase have been detected in Scotland under the surveillance of fallen stock for bovines over 24 months. Compensation is not payable in these cases.

Bankruptcy

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to increase the time period required for notice of bankruptcy proceedings to be served.

Mr Jim Wallace: In terms of section 12(2) of the Bankruptcy (Scotland) Act, it is provided that "where a petition for sequestration of a debtor’s estate is presented by a creditor or a trustee acting under a trust deed, the court shall grant warrant to cite the debtor to appear before it on such date as shall be specified in the warrant, being a date not less than 6 nor more than 14 days after the date of citation, to show cause why sequestration should not be awarded".

  In his statement to Parliament on the 30 May 2002, the First Minister confirmed his intention to consult on a draft bill to modernise personal bankruptcy law in Scotland. The period of notice is not within the scope of the proposals and is unlikely to be changed.

Care of Elderly People

Ben Wallace (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to any implications for its policy on free personal care of the decision by the Competition Commission Appeals Tribunal on 1 August 2002 in favour of Bettercare Group Ltd with reference to payment for nursing and care services in the North and West Belfast Health and Social Services Trust and whether it plans to take any action in respect of this matter.

Mr Frank McAveety: We are currently considering the implications of the judgement.

Central Heating

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time is for the installation of central heating under its central heating programme as at 24 September 2002, broken down by local authority.

Hugh Henry: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-29183 on 30 September 2002. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Central Heating

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive why all local authority houses outside Glasgow will have central heating by April 2004 but not all such houses in Glasgow will, as referred to in its Scottish Fuel Poverty Statement , and when it expects that all such houses in Glasgow will have central heating.

Hugh Henry: The number of council houses in Glasgow which lack central heating is greater than the total number of council houses elsewhere in Scotland without central heating. It will take time to install central heating in all the houses concerned in Glasgow. Nevertheless, resources will be made available to the council, and later the Glasgow Housing Association, to ensure that all houses have central heating within only four years. This reflects our commitment, set out in the Scottish Fuel Poverty Statement , that by 2006 all pensioner households and tenants will have a centrally heated and well insulated home.

Communities

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its definition is of community empowerment.

Hugh Henry: The Scottish Executive understands the term community empowerment as meaning the extent to which people within communities (of place and interest) have power to influence change. Scottish Executive policy initiatives in this area aim to enhance the skills, resources, networks, opportunities, confidence and motivation of people, individually and collectively. An empowered community is one in which there are high levels of skills, resources etc, which can be mobilised to influence change.

Community Planning

Alex Johnstone (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance is being given to local partnerships and community councils engaged in community planning at local level.

Peter Peacock: Community planning guidance is being developed to accompany the Local Government in Scotland Bill, which is currently being considered by Parliament.

  It is our intention to circulate it to Community Planning Partnerships and other bodies, including community councils, for comment this month.

Community Planning

Alex Johnstone (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications to fund community planning events at local level have been made in (a) 2001-02 and (b) the current financial year and what funding was (i) applied for and (ii) granted in respect of each application.

Peter Peacock: No application to fund specific community planning events at a local level, have been made to the Scottish Executive in either the previous financial year (2001-02) or the current financial year (2002-03).

  The Executive may have received funding requests for other events which have had a relationship to the broader community planning process, but where community planning itself was not the over-riding theme. This information is not held centrally.

Community Planning

Alex Johnstone (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the current community planning budget is in each local authority area.

Peter Peacock: The information requested is not held centrally. This would be a matter for local authorities themselves.

Community Planning

Alex Johnstone (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what specific support it gives to voluntary organisations and community councils in rural areas in order to facilitate their participation in community planning.

Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive provides funding for the national network of Councils for Voluntary Service who work to a set of key objectives set by the Executive, one of which is to participate in the community planning process.

  Whilst the Executive does not provide funding for individual community councils, it does provide grant funding for the Association of Scottish Community Councils to enable them to play a full role in the representation of community council interests.

  The Executive has also issued general guidance to both local authorities and community councils on best practice in involving community councils in issues affecting the local community.

Community Planning

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many voluntary or private sector representatives there are in the community planning task force.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Community Planning Task Force has 22 members covering a range of key community planning partners, including private sector and voluntary sector interests. Full membership of the task force is listed in the table. Further details of the work of the Task Force can be accessed at: www.communityplanning.org.uk.

  
 Community Planning Task Force 
Membership  Willie Rae (Chair)
Chief Constable, Strathclyde Police 
Samantha Barber Chief Executive of Scottish 
Business in the Community  Dr Stuart 
Black  Director of Strengthening Communities, 
Highlands and Islands Enterprise  Ann 
Clark  Head of Policy, Highland Council
 Tom Divers
Chief Executive, NHS Greater Glasgow 
Leslie Evans Head of Local Government 
Division, Scottish Executive  David 
Fletcher Partnership Manager, Greater Easterhouse 
Partnership  Caroline Gardner
Deputy Auditor General, Audit Scotland 
Jon Harris Director of Corporate Strategy, 
COSLA  Professor Chris Huxham
Strathclyde University Graduate Business School 
Lynne Main Voluntary Worker, Wester Hailes 
Representative Council  Stephen 
Maxwell  Assistant Director of Development, 
Scottish Council of Voluntary Organisations 
Ros Micklem  Principal of Cardonald College
 Stuart Nichol
Strategic Manager, Fife Council 
Douglas Paterson Chief Executive, Aberdeen 
City Council  David Pigott
Chief Executive, NHS Lanarkshire 
Selma Rahman Project Co-ordinator, Children 
in Scotland  Martyn Rendle
Business Director, Scottish Homes 
Douglas Sinclair  Chief Executive, Fife 
Council  Bill Spiers
General Secretary, STUC  John 
Thomson Director of Strategy, Scottish Natural 
Heritage  Charles Woods
Senior Director, Scottish Enterprise

Debt Recovery

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements it is making to ensure that goods in the ownership of third parties are not poinded during actions for recovery of commercial debt.

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what safeguards freight forwarding and logistics companies will be able to apply to ensure that goods handled by them but in the ownership of third parties will not be liable to poinding during actions for recovery of commercial debt.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Executive is not making new arrangements in relation to existing safeguards for third party articles in actions for recovery of commercial debt. In this respect, the procedure proposed in the Debt Arrangement and Attachment (Scotland) Bill is essentially the same as that set out in the Debtors (Scotland) Act 1987. The procedure for recovery of domestic debt, however, is radically different from that in the 1987 act.

Debt Recovery

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what proof of ownership will be required to exempt third party goods from poinding during actions for the recovery of commercial debt.

Mr Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-29971 today. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

  The Debtors (Scotland) Act 1987 does not prescribe what will be acceptable as proof that articles belong to third parties. All that is required is that the sheriff officer is satisfied with the corroboration. If the proof of ownership is not available at the time, the 1987 act provides for the articles to be released on the sheriff officer being later satisfied. If the proof of ownership does not satisfy the sheriff officer, either at the time or later, then there is provision for an application to the sheriff.

Debt Recovery

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether plans for safeguarding goods in the ownership of third parties are robust and effective enough to ensure that such goods are not detained for lengthy periods of time as a result of poinding and other actions for the recovery of commercial debt.

Mr Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-29971 today. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search . The procedures in the Debtors (Scotland) Act 1987 for the protection of articles owned by third parties from poinding and warrant sale are well established. They are designed to be straightforward and for any disputes over ownership to be resolved quickly. I understand that experience has shown that they work well in practice.

Elderly People

Shona Robison (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much money it has given to the Scottish Older People’s Advisory Group in each of the last three years and what the money was used for.

Mr Frank McAveety: The Executive provided one-off funding of £20,000 in 2001-02 to Better Government for Older People (BGOP) towards the development of BGOP in Scotland, including support for the Scottish Older People’s Advisory Group.

Environment

Dr Sylvia Jackson (Stirling) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in the provision of an accessible online pollution inventory.

Allan Wilson: Good progress has been made. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is currently preparing to collect the data required for the European Pollutant Emission Register (EPER). Statutory notices, requiring those affected to report on emissions for 2002, will be issued by SEPA in November 2002. The information must be passed to the European Commission by June 2003.

  SEPA will provide online access to Scottish EPER emissions data by summer 2003 as a first stage in the development of a comprehensive online pollution inventory.

  As I explained in the answer given to question S1W-29496 on 25 September 2002, SEPA has been allocated, subject to parliamentary approval, additional resources over the three-year period covered by the 2002 Spending Review. The resources include funding to enable the agency to implement its plans for an online pollution inventory.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Ferry Services

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will advise the Forth Estuary Transport Authority to support an initiative for fast ferry crossings between Fife and Edinburgh and what financial assistance it will provide to any such initiative.

Lewis Macdonald: At their meeting on 21 June 2002 the Forth Estuary Transport Authority (FETA) considered a request from Fife Council to provide support funding to update a study into the viability of a cross-Forth ferry service. I understand that FETA agreed to provide £15,000 towards the costs of this study. Decisions about whether to fund any such ferry service would lie with FETA, not the Executive.

Foot-and-Mouth Disease

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it holds on the amount of payments made to agricultural producers in compensation for the effects of foot-and-mouth disease.

Ross Finnie: A total of 1,970 payments amounting to £177,033,102 were made to producers in Scotland by way of compensation for the loss of their animals culled due to foot-and-mouth disease.

  The Livestock Welfare Disposal Scheme and the Light Lamb Scheme paid out £13,058,811 and £1,895,147 for 119,164 animals and 187,861 light lambs respectively.

Health

Alex Johnstone (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what procedures currently exist with regard to an individual that dies in hospital without any next of kin.

Malcolm Chisholm: When an individual without next of kin dies in hospital, the funeral can be arranged by a public authority such as an NHS board, NHS trust or Social Work Department. The local authority has a duty to bury or cremate the deceased if no other arrangements can be made, and a claim can be made on the deceased’s estate to cover the funeral expenses.

  Further information is available in the Scottish Executive publication What to Do After a Death in Scotland.

Justice

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-28692 by Mr Jim Wallace on 24 September 2002, whether the research for the review announced in April 2000 of the powers introduced in 1996 enabling the courts to impose aggravated sentences for offences committed while the offender was on bail will include consideration of the incidence of (a) failure to appear or be represented at court amongst accused persons admitted to bail, (b) offending by accused persons while admitted to bail and (c) intimidation of witnesses by accused persons while admitted to bail.

Mr Jim Wallace: Aggravated sentences are only used to deal with offending while on bail and not other forms of bail abuse. Accordingly, the research is considering the incidence of and particularly the punishment imposed for offending while on bail.

Organ Retention

Alex Johnstone (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what rights the executors of an individual that dies in hospital without any next of kin have to refuse a post mortem or organ removal on behalf of their client.

Alex Johnstone (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether NHS staff are obliged to seek permission from the executor of an individual that dies in hospital without any next of kin before a post mortem or organ removal is carried out.

Malcolm Chisholm: In terms of the Human Tissue Act 1961, two different sets of circumstances need to be considered.

  Section 1(1) of the act provides: "If any person, either in writing at any time or orally in the presence of two or more witnesses during his last illness, has expressed a request that his body or any specified part be used after his death for therapeutic purposes or for purposes of medical education or research, the person lawfully in possession of his body after his death may, unless he has reason to believe that the request was subsequently withdrawn, authorise the removal from the body of any part or, as the case may be, the specified part, for use in accordance with the request." In the case of an individual dying in hospital without any next of kin, there would be nothing to prevent the person lawfully in charge of the body consulting the executor as to whether the original request had been withdrawn.

  Section 1(2)(a) of the 1961 act provides that the person lawfully in possession of the body can authorise the removal of any part of the body for the purposes of medical education or research if, after reasonable inquiry, he has no reason to believe that the deceased had expressed an objection to the body being so dealt with after death, and had not withdrawn that objection. In the case of a person dying in hospital with no next of kin, one option would clearly be to inquire of the executors whether the deceased had expressed any objections to a post-mortem examination.

  The 1961 act is generally regarded as unsatisfactory, and the Executive has accepted the recommendation from the Review Group on Retention of Organs at Post-Mortem that it should be replaced when legislative time becomes available.

Organ Retention

Alex Johnstone (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to protect the rights of those that die in hospital without any next of kin and did not wish to have any post mortem or organ removal carried out after their death.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Clinical Standards Board for Scotland is currently working on the development of standards for hospital post-mortem examinations. These have a standard statement relating to authorisation and information, which is that "authorisation is given for all hospital post-mortems, taking into account the wishes of the deceased and, where appropriate, the wishes of the relatives." These standards will be mandatory across NHSScotland.

Organ Retention

Alex Johnstone (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in developing legislation following the recommendations in the Independent Review Group on Retention of Organs at Post Mortem Final Report .

Malcolm Chisholm: We are committed to changing the legislation governing post-mortem examinations, and are continuing to work closely with the other UK Health Departments and the Retained Organs Commission, who are also looking at the reform of the law on the use of human tissue. The Review Group on the Retention of Organs at Post-Mortem and the Scottish Transplant Group will continue to advise the Executive in relation to proposed changes in the law.

People with Disabilities

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what priority is given to assisting disabled people in the (a) privately-rented and (b) owner-occupied housing sectors.

Hugh Henry: Assistance to owners of private sector housing to make their houses suitable for the needs of disabled occupants is given by local authorities through housing improvement grants and from community care budgets. It is for local authorities to determine the priority given to expenditure on this type of assistance. The Scottish Executive is not aware of the detailed priorities which local authorities attach to relevant assistance in the owner-occupied and private rented sectors.

People with Disabilities

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent on improvement repair grants for disabled people in each of the last five years in the (a) privately-rented and (b) owner-occupied sector.

Hugh Henry: The table shows the amount of grant approved in each year by local authorities for disability adaptations. Figures for 2001-02 are not yet available.

  Private Sector Improvements Grants: Approved Expenditure for Disability Grants

  

1996-97(£000)
1997-98(£000)
1998-99(£000)
1999-2000(£000)

2000-01(£000) 
All  5,576
5,861 7,282
7,828

9,382
 Owner occupier
5,442 5,788
7,014 7,562

9,221  Private 
rented sector1 124
69 238
188

116


  Note:

  1. May also include some grants for housing association properties.

Public Bodies

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Sector Skills Development Agency is classified as a cross-border public authority within the terms of the Scotland Act 1998.

Iain Gray: The Sector Skills Development Agency is not classified as a cross-border public authority within the terms of the Scotland Act 1998. It is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Education and Skills.

Rail Network

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it has requested from the British Airports Authority (BAA) towards the cost of rail links to Edinburgh and Glasgow airports and what funding BAA has committed or pledged to date for such links.

Lewis Macdonald: BAA are co-funders of the study and key stakeholders in the discussions about rail links to both Glasgow and Edinburgh airports. The consultants are currently looking in depth at funding and procurement options and will report on that before the end of the year. Discussions on funding with all partners will take place following the consultant’s recommendations.

Rail Services

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when its transport division last met Scottish Enterprise regarding rail services and on how many occasions since May 1999 any such formal meetings have taken place.

Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive meets with Scottish Enterprise on an as required basis to discuss railway issues.

Roads

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is on the construction of new junctions on the A9 between Perth and Inverness.

Lewis Macdonald: The A9 between Perth and Inverness is a high speed long distance road with limited access. There is a strong presumption against providing new junctions.

Schools (Scotland) Code

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will announce its conclusion on the review of the school provisions of the Schools (Scotland) Code.

Nicol Stephen: The Schools (Scotland) Code 1956 has been a feature of Scottish Education for over 40 years. Little of the original code remains and over the years its provisions have been amended, repealed and replaced. In more recent years the code has not kept up with changes and improvements in Scottish education. The Scottish Executive has consulted on the future of the school provisions of the code and has concluded that they should be phased out.

  We remain totally committed to professional standards and to continuous improvement in the education our children receive. We are also committed to ensuring that the necessary safeguards are in place to ensure the quality of that education. That commitment will be underpinned by statutory provisions where necessary.

  At the start of the consultation exercise on the Schools (Scotland) Code we gave a commitment that registration with the General Teaching Council would remain a requirement to work as a teacher in education authority schools. We will bring forward separate regulations that will maintain the position.

  We have also concluded that there is a continuing need for those teachers who work wholly or mainly with children with special educational needs to have specialist qualifications. Separate modernised regulations will be introduced.

  In other areas, the safeguards provided by the code have been replaced by the introduction of improved standards using different approaches. For example, in the case of class sizes the code provisions have been replaced by improved standards negotiated through changes to teachers’ conditions of service.

  Other developments such as the School Improvement Framework should give sufficient assurance that education will continue to be provided in an appropriate manner by suitable teachers in all of Scotland’s schools.

  It has already been announced in Regulation of Early Education and Childcare: The Way Ahead in May 2000 that the pre-school provisions of the code will be repealed. Separate regulations repealing these provisions will now be laid.

  We will, of course, keep these developments under regular review. The code, however, is no longer up to the challenges and needs of a 21st century education service. We therefore intend to phase it out in two stages. The first stage will begin immediately and the second stage will take place in 2004, when the School Improvement Framework is fully bedded in.

Scottish Executive

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-28656 by Mr Andy Kerr on 23 September 2002, (a) whether it will list all financial irregularities identified by any investigation of its security branch in each financial year since 1998-99, with the amount involved in the irregularities expressed (i) to the nearest pound and (ii) as a percentage of the branch’s budget for each year, (b) by what process each such irregularity came to its attention and (c) how the significance of such irregularities is determined and what the reasons are for the position on this matter.

Mr Andy Kerr: In 1998 Security Branch management identified overpayments of overtime allowances to Security Force staff. The 1998 Audit of Security Branch confirmed that overpayments had been made. The significance of irregularities may be determined by their size and nature. In this case, the irregularities totalled approximately £342 and equated to approximately 0.03% of the Security Branch budget.

  In April 2002 Security Branch internal management controls identified possible irregularities with claims submitted in respect of travel related allowances. An investigation was initiated by Corporate Services Personnel Team which is on-going.

Shipping

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it gathers and holds on shipping on an annual basis.

Lewis Macdonald: Statistical information on shipping is provided in chapter 10 of Scottish Transport Statistics No 21, Edition 2002 . A copy is available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 23316.) Information is also gathered through regular liaison with the shipping and ferry industries, and with the UK government.

Social Work

Cathy Peattie (Falkirk East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made with the code of practice for social service workers and employers.

Cathy Jamieson: The codes of practice for social service workers and employers were launched on Monday 23 September 2002. There has been very enthusiastic endorsement from all key figures in the social work field. The codes will operate across the UK and are unique in that they cover both employers and employees. They are critical to the operation of the Social Services Register that will be established in April 2003.

Suicide

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken, or plans to take, to address the increase in suicides in Scotland.

Malcolm Chisholm: The National Programme for Improving the Mental Health and Well-being of the Scottish Population, established in October 2001 and overseen by a National Advisory Group, (NAG) which I chair, is developing a range of initiatives to address mental health as part of our health improvement agenda. The programme’s main objectives include raising awareness of mental health issues, promoting positive mental health, and the effective prevention of mental health problems. The programme links into initiatives both within and outwith the Executive, for example in the social justice, education and employment fields, to maximise the potential for mental health gain.

  As one element of this programme, the Scottish Executive is preparing a Framework for the Reduction of Suicide and Self-harm to be published later this year, and has consulted widely on the draft version. The framework will include an action plan, which will identify the actions which can be taken at both local and national levels to address the increase in suicide in Scotland.

  Other initiatives include a National Anti-Stigma Campaign to be launched in October; the Breathing Space Helpline for people with low mood and depression, especially among young men, and a public attitude survey on mental health. A magazine Well? describing the aims of the overall programme has been issued widely, and a copy has been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 24027).

Suicide

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what financial support it provides to each organisation working in the field of suicide prevention and support for families affected by suicide.

Malcolm Chisholm: In addition to services provided by the NHS and local authorities, the Executive provides financial support to a range of voluntary organisations, many of which provide support to those with mental health problems, including those at risk of suicide, and their families.

  Overall, £1.2 million will be provided for 2002-03 under section 10 of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 and section 16B of the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978 to voluntary bodies in the mental health field. A further £19 million will be disbursed through Mental Illness Specific Grant which goes via local authorities to 400 small-scale projects at local level throughout Scotland. These projects provide a range of support including drop-in centres, day services, counselling services, information and advice, education and employment schemes, advocacy and befriending services.

Suicide

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give financial support to Facilitate (Scotland) to assist with its work in the field of suicide prevention and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive is pleased to consider applications from voluntary organisations for financial support under existing grant schemes. Applications for grant under section 16B of the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978 for 2003-04 are currently being considered. It is open to Facilitate (Scotland) to apply for grant under section 16B for that year, and they have been made aware of the information which should accompany an application.

Tourism

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been paid to visitscotland.com from commissions on all bookings through the website since its launch.

Mike Watson: This is an operational matter for eTourism Ltd.

Tourism

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the total revenue received by VisitScotland from commissions on bookings made through its website since the site’s launch has been (a) reinvested in (i) VisitScotland and (ii) visitscotland.com and (b) paid to any other organisation, broken down by organisation and giving the percentage paid in each case.

Mike Watson: eTourism Ltd is responsible for the operation and management of visitscotland.com. eTourism Ltd is a public private partnership between VisitScotland, the area tourist boards, Partnerships UK and Schlumberger Sema. Details of revenue received through the website and reinvested in visitscotland.com are an operational matter for eTourism Ltd.

Voluntary Sector

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the role of the voluntary sector is in service delivery.

Ms Margaret Curran: The voluntary sector has an important role in service delivery. It is already a major provider and innovator across many areas of activity. The voluntary sector is in close touch with many parts of Scottish society and well placed to identify and respond to changing needs.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Holyrood Project

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer what the total current estimate is of the fees for the Holyrood Project and whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will provide a full breakdown of these fees.

Sir David Steel: As reported to the Finance Committee on 8 October 2002, the current estimate for professional fees relating to the Holyrood Project amounts to £38.6 million. A breakdown cannot presently be given as the amounts payable to the individual professional consultants are still regarded as "commercially confidential".

Opening Ceremony

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Presiding Officer what the total budgeted costs are of employing an Opening Ceremonies Manager for the opening of the new Parliament building, including administrative support and expenses.

Sir David Steel: The Opening Ceremonies Manager will be responsible for the planned opening ceremonies for the new Parliament building and for the second parliamentary session. The post has been established on a temporary basis, for one year, at Grade 5. The current salary scale is £25,500 to £35,000. No exclusive administrative support has been identified at this stage. It is anticipated that support will be provided on an ad hoc basis. No estimate of expenses is available.

Opening Ceremony

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Presiding Officer what the projected costs would be of a procession of MSPs down the Royal Mile to the new Parliament building, including costs to the City of Edinburgh Council, such as road closures and street barriers, and costs of policing and the attendance of emergency services.

Sir David Steel: Procession options have not yet been assessed by the Opening Ceremonies Steering Group. No information on costs is available at this stage.